


To The Drums Of The City Rain

by Natileroxs



Series: Golden Days [4]
Category: I Don't Know How But They Found Me (Band), My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst with a Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, M/M, Podfic Welcome, Post-Split, Pre-Split, Temporary Character Death, non explicit mentions of suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 08:03:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20336812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Natileroxs/pseuds/Natileroxs
Summary: “Fuck you.” Frank spits in his face. The two cops that flank the guy’s sides don’t react, except for edging closer to the prisoner, tightening his cuffs slightly. “Fuck. You.” He accentuates his words with a pure and wicked scowl.The trial had all been for show. Because the man had confessed to the crime. To the brutal murder and kidnapping of Ryan Ross.Yet still no body. Nothing Frank could use. It makes it so much worse. Ryan is dead and he can’t do a damn thing about it.(more golden days au)





	To The Drums Of The City Rain

**Author's Note:**

> Oh boy. I'm uploading this late at night and I really should be in bed right now. Oops. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy.
> 
> Beta'd by Blake18
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blake18

**Early 2007**

“Seer, huh?” Frank says when they’re sitting beside each other later. Gerard nods and smiles. 

“I guess, yeah.”

“How does it work?” Frank asks. “I’ve never really been taught about other magic users. To be honest, I haven’t really been taught much about my own magic, either. It just… happens.” 

“What, bringing people back from the dead? That just  _ happens _ ?” 

“I haven’t brought anyone back from the dead. Just my puppy when I was a kid. My mom saw and told me to try and not use it anymore. Something about humans shouldn’t have power over life and death.”

Gerard giggles and Frank grins.

“So you’ve never used them since?” 

Frank bites his lip. Gerard narrows his eyes. 

“You have?” 

“Well, not back from the dead. Just… more alive.” Gerard’s eyebrows crease. He doesn’t understand. Frank rushes to explain. “I mean, like a sickly cat, or a drooping flower. Nothing massive. I’ve tried with people too, but it just… it doesn’t feel right. Makes me kinda sick afterwards.”

“Like your life was being fed into them?”

“Yeah… it wasn’t like that with my dog though. I never felt anything. I still don’t get it,” Frank huffs. “Anyway, how does the whole Seer thing work?” 

“Honestly, I don’t know either. I get weird dreams that come true, but I can also stop the things from happening if I want to.” 

“Have you?” 

“Once or twice. Like, once in my dream you got hit over the head with a guitar and got knocked out during a show. So, I grabbed you right before it happened, missed you completely.” 

Frank smiles at him. “So, now I can say you’ve saved my life.”

“I guess. Usually, they mean pretty much nothing. Only sometimes do I see things that…” He pauses and takes a deep breath. Frank waits. “Truly scare me.” 

He shivers at the thought and Frank gently hugs him before kissing him softly on the cheek. Gerard pulls him closer.

* * *

**2008**

“You guys have been so nice to us,” Ryan says and Mikey shrugs him off. “I mean it. I don’t think we’d be here if you hadn’t helped us so much.” 

Pretty. Odd. is a really cool album in Mikey’s opinion. It’s different, unique, and so, so, Panic! At The Disco. And it obviously means a lot to Ryan, like how much The Black Parade means to Gerard. To all of them. 

“We barely did anything, it was all your guys’ hard work.” 

“I guess. I’m just so happy that it worked out.” Ryan smiles. “I was so scared that we’d fail. That something would go wrong, you know?” 

“Yeah. Every single time we release an album, I prepare myself for the backlash,” Mikey tells him. “I think everyone does.”

“Anyway, thank you for everything you guys have done. 

* * *

**2009**

When Gerard screams in his sleep, Mikey  _ knows _ he’s seeing something. Usually, the thing happens the day after the vision, so Mikey is immediately worried. Unfortunately, all he can do is wait the nightmare out, let his brother wake, get him a glass of water, and let him stutter out the basic outline of what he saw. He then lets his brother fall back asleep. 

Or… that’s how it usually goes. 

  
“Gee? Hey…” 

Gerard is shaking, but his gaze is frozen, staring into space. Mikey isn’t sure he wants to know what he saw, but he needs to know. He needs to know if they’re going to be able to do anything about it. 

“Gee?”

“M-Mikey…” His speech is slurred, slow, and painfully dejected, void of hope. 

“What did you see, Gee?”

“Doesn’t matter…” Gerard curls up on himself. “We can’t do  _ anything. _ ”

When Mikey questions him again, Gerard refuses to answer. Gerard eventually falls back asleep, unshed tears finally sliding down into his hair once he closes his eyes.

But Mikey can’t sleep. The whole bus is silent and dark except for him biting at his pen with his overhead light on and a notebook in his lap. There are bags under his eyes by the time the morning light starts to peek out from under the curtains. 

The atmosphere is thick as Gerard rises and silently makes his coffee, ignoring the questions. Mikey watches him all day, the whole time until they make it to the venue, then the hotel. He’s only just getting settled into the room he’s sharing with Ray when he hears the murmurs of a familiar voice echoing from outside the room. Someone knocks on the door and Ray goes to answer. 

“Brendon?” 

Brendon? Brendon Urie? From Panic! At The Disco? Why would he be here?

The two speak in low voices by the door, and Mikey only hesitates for a few moments before he stands and joins the pair. 

Brendon’s eyes are red like he’s been crying, and his hair is a mess. Ray is unmoving, standing stiffly by the door. Their quiet conversation trails off when they notice his presence. Brendon bites his lip, gnawing at the already damaged skin. 

“What’s going on?” Mikey gets out, trembling a little with nerves. Brendon lets in a shallow, shaky breath, nods to Ray, and hugs Mikey tight. Caught off guard, Mikey doesn’t hug back immediately but does return it after getting his bearings. Brendon then breaks away, looks at his feet for a few seconds, and then leaves, the door still hanging open. 

Ray closes it and leads him back to the bed while he stares, confused. 

“Ray? What’s wrong?” 

“Mikey…” He sounds so similar to Gerard, to how dejected and hopeless he sounded last night. Something Mikey had attempted many times to shove to the back of his mind. 

“What’s wrong?” He repeats, fingers anxiously scuffing at the clean, white bedsheets. 

Ray lets out a breath like Brendon did, and sets down a trembling hand on Mikey’s shoulder. 

“Ryan’s…”

Ryan Ross? It has to be, it can’t be Seaman, there’s no connection between him and Brendon. But… what’s wrong with Ryan Ross?

“Ryan Ross?”

Ray nods slowly. “He’s… He’s gone, Mikey.”

“Gone?” He can’t quite comprehend what Ray is saying. 

“He’s… they’re still trying to work out what happened, but they think he was taken, and that…”

Mikey shakes his head quickly. “No.” 

“Mikey…”

“No. No, fuck off.” Mikey stands and Ray reaches for him, snagging his wrist. Mikey tugs hard and pulls it out of Ray’s grip, storming out of the room. He makes his way to Gerard and Frank’s room, pounding on the door. A few seconds later, Frank opens the door, eyebrows raised in a mix of surprise, confusion, and concern. He pushes past him to where Gerard is lying, gazing at the ceiling like it’s the most interesting thing he’s ever seen. 

“Gee!” He huffs and moves into his elder brother’s line of sight. 

“Mikes?”

“What did you see last night?” Mikey says, voice stiff and cold. Frank has moved away from the door and is watching them both with growing worry. 

“I told you, no. We can’t… We…” Gerard stops himself before he loses it. 

“He saw something?” Frank asks, biting his fingernails a little. “Last night?”

Mikey turns around and nods before facing his brother again. “It was something bad, wasn’t it Gee!” He leans down and shakes his brother, who scowls at him. 

“We can’t do anything!” Gerard tries to hurl at him forcefully, but it comes out spluttered, full of tears, and leaves Gerard gasping as sobs escape him. “Oh god.” The elder brother holds his head and Frank immediately comes to his side. “Oh god, oh no. Oh, no, no, no.”

The same thoughts are running through Mikey’s head. He can’t stop the shaking, the tears pricking at his eyes, he can’t stop any of it. 

“Gee. Please…” Frank pleads. “What… What did you see?” 

“Ryan’s gone…” Mikey says and Gerard’s head jerks upwards to meet his eyes. 

“How did you…” He chokes out.

Frank’s eyes widen and now he’s echoing Gerard’s denials. 

“He’s gone,” Gerard whines. “He’s gone, isn’t he…” 

Mikey wishes he could say no. He really does. But he can’t feel Ryan’s soul. He can feel Gerard in front of him, Frank beside him, Spencer, Jon, and Brendon down the hall. He can feel Ray across the hall in the room they’re sharing, he can feel Pete Wentz and Patrick Stump down a floor, and further off, Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley. Right at the edge of his mind, he can feel Seaman and Dallon. 

But no Ryan. No Ryan whatsoever. 

He slowly, ever so slowly, nods. And then he bolts, he bolts across back to Ray, slamming both doors shut as he passes through them. It doesn’t drown out Gerard’s sobs, but it gives them the illusion of privacy, so there’s that. Ray is still where he was when Mikey ran out, as if he was waiting for him to return. 

He lets himself crumble and Ray catches him on his way to the ground, pulling him into a tight embrace. And so Mikey just cries. He just cries and screams and lets everything out, all the emotion, all the pain. Everything.

* * *

**2009**

Frank tugs at his hair as he holds back a frustrated scream. If only he knew where to go. Where to find what he needs. 

He’s been digging through old books he made his parents send him, reading them cover to cover over and over again. They don’t tell him anything. 

A few days ago he found a poor, dead cat lying in an alley he was walking down. One touch and the cat was up and pushing against his chin with its face, following him back to the bus where it ended up curled up with him on the bed while he cried himself to sleep. Now it follows him wherever he goes like it thinks it owes him something. 

It didn’t even hurt, bringing it back to life. One light brush against its fur and it was living again. The books say nothing about that. They say it takes days, weeks, to prepare to bring  _ anything _ back to life, not just humans. And that it takes great amounts of energy out of you. 

It doesn’t make sense. It was just so  _ easy _ . Unfortunately, not everything is, because there’s no Ryan and so he can’t just take his hand and then help the guy out of his coffin. He’s disappeared into thin air, not even a hint of a soul left anywhere. 

Mikey’s announcement and Gerard’s tears had preoccupied his time for a few days after the bombshell was dropped, but after the funeral, he now struggles with his own feelings. He was close to Ryan, they all were. A good kid, a good musician, and overall a good person. Frank just  _ has  _ to bring him back to life, no matter what. 

“Frank?” A small voice echoes from outside the bathroom and Frank brushes his hair down to try and make himself look presentable, and in turn, feels his cheeks are wet and puffy. He hadn’t even noticed he’d been crying. He pulls the door open and Gerard is standing there, a concerned look growing worse across his face as he takes in Frank’s state. 

“Oh, Frank…” Gerard reaches forward, pulling Frank close to his body. Frank grasps tightly at Gerard’s shirt and silently cries, letting the taller male run his hands through Frank’s hair, gently tugging out tangles and smoothing it down. “Frankie, why didn’t you say anything?”

He lets out a whisper despite his trembling lips. “I can’t do anything, I feel so useless.” Gerard hums into his hair and Frank continues. “I hate everything. It’s so unfair.” 

“I know,” Gerard says and Frank believes him. Gerard is the one person who really does understand. Because Gerard saw it with his own eyes. He saw it before it happened, but couldn’t do a thing, because by the time he’d seen it, Ryan was gone and it was too late. 

“I… I should be able to do something. Do something to fix this. But I…” He hiccups before he can finish, and then he starts to really sob. 

“You can’t… I’m sorry,” Gerard sighs and places his lips to Frank’s forehead. “I’m so, so sorry.” 

* * *

**2010**

Frank wants to punch the guy and scream in his face, but Ray’s arms are around his shoulders, holding him back. Brendon’s pretty much in tears as he stumbles over his words, and Gerard’s grip on Mikey’s hand looks way too tight to be even remotely comfortable. Spencer’s fists are clenched tight and Pete rubs at his jacket sleeves. 

The trial continues on as poorly as you’d expect. More tears fall, more of Frank thrashing in Ray’s grip that begins to frustrate the both of them, and more of that guy and his rotten teeth smiling at him, at all of them. The guy pleads guilty and that’s that. But Frank decides he’s gonna give the guy a piece of his mind before the guy’s shipped off to prison for his life sentence. 

“Fuck you.” Frank spits in his face. The two cops that flank the guy’s sides don’t react, except for edging closer to the prisoner, tightening his cuffs slightly. “Fuck. You.” He accentuates his words with a pure and wicked scowl. 

The trial had all been for show. Because the man had confessed to the crime. To the brutal murder and kidnapping of Ryan Ross. 

Yet still no body. Nothing Frank could use. It makes it so much worse. Ryan is dead and he can’t do a damn thing about it. 

They all share around a pack of cigarettes and hold each other close as they sit on the steps. Gerard lets Frank sit in his lap, and Mikey lies back on the ground, gazing into the sky. Eventually, Ray moves Mikey’s head to his lap, but by that point, Mikey’s already sleeping and Gerard’s head is nodding off on Frank’s shoulder. 

Spencer had taken Brendon home as soon as the trial was over, but Pete and Patrick still linger about, passing a bottle of vodka between them. It’s only half empty, but both of them are drooping into sleep slowly. 

“Ray…” Frank hums and Ray looks up from Mikey’s closed eyes. 

“Yeah?”

“That guy… that monster, he didn’t explain himself. Did he?” Frank turns in Gerard’s lap and gently guides the two of them to the ground. Gerard is barely conscious, but he’s awake enough that he manages to avoid hitting his head. “He like, said he killed Ryan and then got rid of the body, but then went silent.” 

“I guess.”   


“He didn’t say anything about how, or why, or where. He didn’t… he didn’t…”

Ray reaches out and squeezes his hand gently before going back to raking his fingers through Mikey’s hair. Gerard’s arms curl around Frank’s middle. In return, Frank pushes his head against Gerard’s chest, hooking his arms over Gerard’s shoulders. 

“I just can’t stop thinking about it.” 

“I know,” Ray whispers, and then breathes out softly. “Now that you say that I can’t stop thinking about it either.” 

Frank is having trouble keeping his eyes open now, but he says something before he drifts off. “What if he’s ly…”   
  


Frank falls asleep in Gerard’s arms, on the steps outside a courtroom, the warm breeze brushing against the back of his neck and blowing both their hair about. 

* * *

**2012**

Before he kills himself, the murder’s last words are that he didn’t  _ kill _ Ryan. 

But, he  _ was _ the reason Ryan was gone.

Gerard doesn’t usually resort to violence, that’s Frank, but he seriously wishes that he could punch the asshole in the face. Many, many times. 

But he can’t.

* * *

**2012**

“You’re… what?” Ray blinks, moving his gaze from Mikey, to Frank, to Gerard, and then back to Mikey. They all look sheepish, a little guilty, and Ray really wants to grab each and every one of them and shake them until they regain their sanity. 

“We’re magic,” Frank repeats for Mikey and then grins. “No joke.” 

“Have you three actually lost your minds?”

“Nope.” Gerard quickly shakes his head. 

“Magic?”

Mikey sighs and sits up straighter. “Alright, explanation time I guess. All three of us have  _ magic _ in some capacity. There’s no such thing as wizards, and not all magic people are the same. But, all you need to know is that  _ I  _ mix potions, create wards and charms, and mostly mess around with all that herbal magic crap. Which makes me a Mystic. Gee is a Seer, which means he has… visions. Of the future. They’re not always that significant, but sometimes he can make sure  _ bad _ things don’t happen.”

“There’s one thing I couldn’t stop.” 

Frank reaches over and takes Gerard’s hand in his, rubbing his palm with his thumb. Ray looks confused for a moment before understanding washes over him and he gives Gerard a sympathetic look hesitantly. 

“And, uh, Frank, can you explain your weird powers.”

“They’re not that weird.” Frank crosses his arms, taking Gerard’s hand with them. 

“Uh… what are they?”

Frank takes a minute to think of how to delicately explain this. “You know how people in movies can like… raise the dead…”

“Yes…”

“Yeah, that’s what I do.” 

Ray blinks at him. And then laughs. “Haha, now you’ve got to be messing with me. I can’t believe I almost fell for that one.” 

Mikey uncoordinatedly flicks his hand out and the door slams shut. He feels like the whole situation is way too reminiscent of the time Gerard found out. Ray jumps. 

“Woah. You’re not… you’re not joking?”

“Nope,” Frank says and the word echoes around the room as the other two repeat it. 

Ray sinks into a chair and holds his head in his hands. “Goddammit, what am I going to do with you three.” 

* * *

**2013**

Mikey hasn’t caught up with Spencer and Brendon in too long. He’s been avoiding the whole Panic! scene ever since Ryan had disappeared, and so he has no idea what is happening on that front. He knows they’re still making music, and that they must’ve gotten someone to fill in with the shows. 

He tracks down Spencer, gives him a call, and turns up at their practice. Brendon is happily surprised and hugs him tightly. He explains that they’ve gotten a brand new bassist that is working on their fourth album with them, and that’s weird because Mikey hadn’t even known there was a third album. He files the information away for later, to go look it up and listen. 

Brendon drags him around the studio to where the bassist is setting up his equipment. The tall figure is a little familiar, but he can’t quite put his finger on where he knows him from, until he can. 

Dallon Weekes is staring down at him with wide eyes. Mikey is probably pulling the same face. They nod to each other, a promise to talk later, and then Mikey watches them practice and tries not to feel sad. 

After practice, he meets up with Dallon in a back room, and they share a handshake, and then a hug. 

“Hey, Dallon.” 

“Hey.”

“So, you’re in Panic! now?” Mikey hums. Dallon nods sheepishly. 

“I guess. Sorry for not telling you, but I kinda assumed you knew.” Mikey shakes his head at this. 

“Nah, I’ve been kind of behind with Panic! At The Disco stuff. You know…”

Dallon nods before Mikey has to force himself to continue. 

“So, I guess you’re a big shot celeb now. Where’s Rys?”

They sit down, Dallon relaxing back in a chair that’s a little too small for him, Mikey in one that’s just a little more suiting of his size. “I’m not really.” Dallon shrugs. “And Rys is on tour at the moment. Just my luck, falling in love with another musician.” 

Mikey pauses.  _ Falling in love? _

He repeats the question aloud and Dallon barks out a laugh. “Yeah, we’ve been official for about a year now. Obviously been living together for a lot longer than that so we’re both surprised it’s taken us this long to get together.” Dallon then leans over. “And… uh… you can’t tell anyone else, but… Rys is thinking about quitting his band.” 

“Quitting? What band’s he in? And what does he play?”

“Drums, and he’s in Falling In Reverse.” Dallon cringes at the name as he says it. Mikey raises a questioning eyebrow and Dallon explains. “The lead singer, Ronnie, is an absolute asshole. He treats Rys like shit.”

“Fuck, I’d leave too.” 

“Yeah, I think he’s gonna stick around for a  _ little _ while longer, but I know he’s itching to get out.” Dallon sighs. “I just want him to be happy.” 

“I’m sure he will be eventually. I mean, he’s got you.” Mikey gestures to Dallon. “So his life can’t be all that bad.” 

Dallon chuckles. Then they both hear a phone ringing from down the hall. Dallon groans and stands up, looming over Mikey’s seated figure. “Sorry,” He heads out and returns with the phone pretty much attached to his ear. “Yeah, just finished… Meet up? Uh… yeah, yeah, actually that’s perfect… yeah, I guess I’ll see you then… bye, love you.” 

Mikey gets to his feet, knowing he probably should get going. Dallon takes his arm though. 

“Hey, meet at the safehouse in two hours?” He asks and Mikey nods. He knows all the little ins and outs to get to safehouses now. There are certain points in space where you can track down safehouses and  _ jump _ to them. That’s what Rys got him to do, all those years ago. 

He hasn’t visited Rys and Dallon’s safehouse in years, but he knows how to get there. He’s barely been to any other safehouses. Ray has one now, though. They’d decided since he is the only  _ normal _ one out of the four, that he could help by keeping up a safehouse. Wasn’t like he had to do much, only spread a few markings and charms about his house, and frame the deed with his name in big letters on the front of it. Mikey had helped him with a lot of that. 

Ray had agreed to do it and that was that. 

He knows there are others out there, a bunch of interconnected ones that he  _ can _ jump to if he needs. He just hasn’t needed to yet. 

Two hours later he slips through an open window into a familiar living room. Dallon is already sitting on the couch, lazing about, bored. Another figure walks in and raises his eyebrows at him. 

“Mikey.” 

“Rys.” They nod at each other and then shake hands. 

“It’s been too long man.” 

“Definitely.” 

They flip back and forth with small talk until Rys asks something.    
  


“Can you be my permanent dealer?” Mikey actually laughs. 

“Sure.” 

* * *

**2019**

Mikey can’t breathe. He locks himself Brendon Urie’s bathroom and finally lets the tears fall. He shakes as he lies with his back against the wall, sobbing as quietly as he can. He’s not sure if they’re happy tears or not, but he’s so overwhelmed with emotion that he can’t deal with it. At least not alone. 

He fishes his phone out of his pocket, which sits comfortably in his hand and against his ear as he calls his big brother. He needs to hear his voice. Right now. 

“Gee?” He immediately calls out.

“Mikey? What’s wrong?” 

He can’t speak. Anything he tries to say comes out as blubbering sobs and Gerard immediately calls out to him. 

“Mikey, where are you? I know you’re not okay, so where are you, I’ll come get you.” 

“I-I…” He tries again. “I’m at Brendon’s. In his bathroom, first one down the hall.”

Gerard makes a noise of confusion but hums into the phone anyway. “Okay… okay, I’m coming.” 

Mikey nods even though Gerard can’t see it. 

* * *

Gerard can’t get to Brendon’s house quick enough. Traffic is a nightmare, he ends up hitting all the red lights, and some asshole decides to slow down right in front of him. When he does finally get to Brendon’s, it’s a cluster of vehicles Gerard does and doesn’t recognise. One’s Pete’s, one’s Mikey’s. He’s pretty sure that one’s Spencer’s, though two don’t ring any bells. 

He parks further down the street, and during his walk to the door, he thinks of what possibly could be happening to gain this much attention. What would draw Brendon, Spencer, Pete, and Mikey, altogether? 

One name clicks in his head but he pushes it out. 

The front door is unlocked, so he lets himself in and heads down the first corridor he finds. Someone ducks their head out into the hall and Gerard blinks as he catches the eyes of Dallon Weekes staring at him. He nods once. 

He knows immediately which one Mikey’s in, because his crying isn’t exactly quiet. He knocks gently, whispering through the door. “Mikey? It’s me, Gerard.”

There’s shuffling and then the door handle is being turned from the inside. Gerard turns it the rest of the way, opens it, and stares down at his little brother. 

Mikey is a mess. He’s shaking and tears are falling down his cheeks in long streams. But he doesn’t look sad. Just emotional. Maybe even a glimmer of happiness or bliss in his expression. Gerard doesn’t know what to make of it. 

“Mikey?”

Mikey blinks up at him like he’s just seeing him for the first time. Gerard helps his brother to his feet and hugs him tightly, curling his whole body around his tall frame. When Mikey tugs away, Gerard lets him and waits for his brother to speak. He doesn’t. 

“Mikey?” He repeats. And then he hears a commotion from outside. Spencer Smith pokes his head into the bathroom and raises his eyebrows at Gerard before taking in Mikey’s state. He sighs softly, frustrated but understanding. He motions for Mikey to come to him and Gerard watches from behind the door as Mikey leans down slightly to receive a hug from someone out of view. 

Gerard moves around the door to get a better idea of what’s going on and he suddenly makes eye contact with Ryan fucking Ross. His little brother is hugging Ryan Ross, unchanged from the last time Gerard last saw him, almost ten years ago. 

They break apart and Ryan moves his gaze to Gerard and just…  _ stares _ . Gerard doesn’t know if he should smile or cry, so he just stands there, staring right back. 

He can feel Mikey push him forward and then he’s hugging the younger boy so gently he’s scared Ryan will fall apart. Gerard knows he looks different, a little older he guesses, a little chubbier, but many still claim he’s barely aged a day. 

“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, Ryan.” Gerard whispers and Ryan, in return, whispers a soft ‘sorry’, to which Gerard responds with a simple, ‘it’s not your fault’.

At least now he knows what Mikey was crying about. And he’s close to crying himself, holding back the tears all for his brother, and for the boy in front of him, who looks so tired and so scared. He needs people to lean on. So Gerard simply hugs him a little more, like Ryan is his own child. It feels a bit like when he’s hugging Bandit. This protective nature and caring instinct. 

Ryan moves a little and Gerard withdraws his arms from around Ryan’s shoulders. He takes his brother’s arm and they follow Spencer and Ryan out of the bathroom and down the hall, to the dining area, where they all simultaneously drop into chairs and breathe out heavily. 

After a little while of silence, Mikey leans over and whispers in his ear. 

“Frank’s gonna lose it.” 

**Author's Note:**

> The mystery continues. 
> 
> I'm looking for a beta reader if anyone's interested.


End file.
